UNCORKED
After landing her dream job as the new CEO of WineGB, the trade association for English and Welsh wine, Nicola Bates talks to Decanter about the potential for the industry and the delicious wines she has been enjoying in preparation for the role – for research purposes, of course
‘This is the best job I could ever think of. The sector is at an incredibly exciting point. The quality is there, but it’s at such an early stage in the journey.
‘It’s an exciting time from a tourism point of view, too. I would say to all wine lovers: come and visit. More facilities are opening all the time, and everyone will give you a really warm welcome.
‘I’m drinking a lot of English wine at the moment. It’s my duty! I grew up in Plymouth, so Camel Valley [in Cornwall] is close to my hometown. I’ve been drinking that to celebrate, but I’m also tasting wines from all our producers.
‘My favourite food and wine pairing would have to be English sparkling wine with fish and chips. There’s a lovely cut-through there, and it’s a proper treat.
‘I tasted my first Bacchus recently, from Halfpenny Green [in South Staffordshire]. I love the idea of Bacchus, because I’m a bit of a history buff. It’s an old German variety, but it feels very English in the elderflower that comes through, and it’s referring to a Roman god of wine. It made me stop and realise the freshness.
‘Ortega is a very underrated grape variety. I live in East Dulwich [south London], and we have four independent wine stores nearby, which is a luxury. One of them sells the Ortega that Westwell does by the cask, so I’ve bee
